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It’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere. But in Antarctica, summer has just begun. The summer solstice occurred at Zucchelli Station on December 22, 2019, at 5:19 p.m. local time. The high temperature that day was a balmy 34 degrees Fahrenheit.

These images from Landsat 8 show the distinct difference in sun angles caused by the change in seasons. The September image is from close to the equinox. Shadows are longer, causing the scene to be darker overall while revealing the ruggedness of the mountains.

The December image is brighter, with shorter shadows and much less sea ice.

Landsat images are useful for monitoring changes to sea ice and glaciers on the frozen continent, at least during summertime in the Southern Hemisphere.

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